Some solenoid valves, such as those used in space vehicles, require special accuracy and durability, because malfunctions and leaks can have serious or expensive consequences. Such solenoid valves can rely on elastomeric valve closing pucks that are carried by an armature or plunger of a solenoid to seal against a valve seat when moved to a closed position. Achieving such valve closing pucks that can endure the many opening and closing movements without developing leaks has required expensive attention to detail, and even then, reliability needs improvement.
Prior art methods of assembling an elastomeric puck into a recess of a solenoid plunger have involved positioning the puck within the recess, and then pressing a lipped retainer into the plunger to hold the puck in place in the recess. This involves careful machining of the recess and the retainer lip so that they fit accurately enough to reliably retain the puck. It also involves placing the puck so that the retainer holds the puck in an optimum position for operation. Errors occurring in these steps can spoil the performance of the valve and thereby become costly.
This invention aims to overcome the prior art problems of assembling valve closing pucks into solenoid plungers, and to do so in a simpler and more reliable way that allows the pucks to seal repeatedly for the operating life of the valve. The invention also aims to accomplish these improvements with less expensive procedures than have previously been used.